Growing up different
by Dean's Moose
Summary: Knowing his child would have to grow up with the same disrespect and hate that he had to endure for all those years brought tears to his eyes. There was nothing he wouldn't do for this boy, and yet looking at his hands Jimmy felt like he had already failed him. Or- What happens when Jimmy's son is born with the same hands Jimmy had. (Set after the last episode.) (Spoilers)


**This was something that has been stuck in my head for far too long and I just had to write it out. I'm sorry for grammar and spelling mistakes, I'm dyslexic so I really can't help it. Hope you enjoy, let me know if It's worth continuing.**

 _Freak. Monster. Cripple.  
_ Words that Jimmy Darling was all too familiar with. _  
_Growing up different had never been easy, but it was only now that he realised just how cruel life had been to people like him.

Bettie, Dot and Jimmy had managed to live out a somewhat normal life since the last days of the freak show, not that they were treated with any more respect than before, but at least they still had each other.

Life was good, and with a baby on the way things were looking up, but Jimmy had felt something in his heart shatter when he first saw his baby son. The boy was cursed with the same weight Jimmy had carried his entire life. The child's tiny hands were practically identical to Jimmy's former claws, and though he had grown to be proud of his deformity, it wasn't a curse he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.

Knowing his child would have to grow up with the same disrespect and hate that he had to endure for all those years brought tears to his eyes. There was nothing he wouldn't do for this boy, and yet looking at his hands Jimmy felt like he had already failed him.

Despite his guilt, he refused to give in to the temptation of a drink. That was a road he never wanted to go down again, he had to set an example.

They thought long and hard about names. Jimmy suggested Meep, but they later decided on Jack. They had been sure to choose a ' _normal'_ name for him, anything to help him fit in even if they knew it wasn't going to be easy.

The questions started when Jack was about six years old.  
 _Why am I different? What's wrong with me? What happened to your hands? Am I a monster?_

Jimmy never knew how to respond. He would rest a wooden hand on his son's shoulder and tell him not to worry, that being different wasn't a bad thing. Jack never seemed convinced. Jimmy didn't blame the kid; he remembered asking his mum the same questions when he was around Jack's age. She had always been great at making him feel better about himself; he only wished she was still here to help out with Jack.

Bettie was great at dealing with him when he got upset, telling him about how special he was and not to listen to the kids at school. Dot and Jimmy were both grateful for how good she was with kids, they didn't think they could cope without her around to calm him down. The three of them made a pretty good team.

The questions died down once Jack turned Ten. He seemed have come to terms with what he was and Jimmy couldn't be more thankful. The last thing he wanted was for his son to think he was any less than the other kids who went to his school.

Earning enough money to support the four of them was a challenge. Bet and Dottie couldn't find work anywhere; people just stared at them in either fear of amusement wherever they went. It pained Jimmy to see the looks on their faces when someone treated them differently.

As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, nothing had changed since the freak show. The only difference was that now people like them didn't get paid to be laughed at, people just got to do it free of charge. He knew that was the way It would always be.

In the ten years since the freak show, Jimmy had been through about 20 different jobs. He never lasted long anywhere, there was only so much he could manage with wooden hands after all. He had even been fired a couple of times because he refused to take off the hands, apparently they were gettting complaints from quests.

He now worked as a postman, his boss insisting that he wear his gloves over his hands. He'd managed to hold that job for a good few months and was making just enough money to keep them all fed.

He came home from a day's work in the middle of winter to find Jack crying on the floor, sat in a pool of blood. It took Jimmy a moment to register what he was seeing before he knelt down next to his son, cradling the bleeding hand.

"What happened?" He demanded although he had a pretty good idea. As he waited for an explanation he grabbed a cloth from the side and held it over the wound that stretched down the length of his conjoined fingers.

"I-I'm sorry dad. I wanted- I wanted to be normal." The boy wailed, "I thought if I cut them apart they'd look like everyone else's but- but there was so much blood- I-"

Jimmy cut him off with a hug, still pressing down on the wound. "Promise me you'll never hurt yourself again." He said in a faint voice, "those kids at school aren't worth it, okay? You're better than all of them."

Jack buried his face into his father's chest, "I promise," He murmured quietly, feeling slightly better in Jimmy's arms, "I'm sorry, I-I thought It would work."

"I know you did…" Jimmy sighed, pulling out of the hug just enough to look Jack in the eyes "but you don't need to look like everyone else, okay? You need to be proud of who you are. You know, my dad wasn't perfect… he-he made plenty of mistakes in his time, but he did one thing right. He told me I have nothing to be ashamed of and neither do you, Jack. You're unique just like I am and there's nothing wrong with that. If you want to start wearing your gloves to school again you can, but don't you ever try to change who you are, okay?"

Jack nodded, pulling out of his father's grip "Thanks, Dad…"

Jimmy reached up to wipe away his tears and smiled softly, "Now let's get you all cleaned up before mums get back from the store, okay?"

 **What do you guys think? Leave a review and let me know if I should continue this.**


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